BiCMat members
The Biobased Colloids and Materials (BiCMat) group researches the fundamental and utilization aspects of renewable resources, including lignocellulose, proteins and other biopolymers. Here you will find the individuals (past and present) that make up the BiCMat research group. Each member of the group has their own research and area of expertise, so be sure to find out more about our researchers below.
Group leader
Prof. Orlando Rojas
I work with my team to uncover solutions that nature may provide to fulfill our material needs, by using, sustainably, resources that we find around us, including plants, marine shells and animals as well as biomass waste. Most of our work deals with small objects (colloids), including fibers, particles or other things with shapes that are not well defined. I hope to find disruptive ways to create positive societal impacts and to better our lives. I hope you have similar interests. If you do, I am more than open to collaborate and join efforts.
Postdoctoral fellows
Dr. Bruno Mattos
Supracolloids, controlled release
Dr. Johanna Majoinen
Supracolloids and surface functionalization
PhD Students
Alvaro Gonzalez Vogel
Electrodialysis in fiber lines
Konrad Klockars
Structural color with CNC
In my research, I use tiny nanoparticles manufactured from a highly abundant and sustainable bio-resource, wood. They assemble into interesting nanostructures that resemble the DNA helix. Uniquely, this creates structural colour with the potential to replace conventional toxic colorants. I engineer the creation of these nanostructures to be applied as cheap coatings providing colour and durability.
Bin Zhao
Lignin carbon materials
I am a doctoral candidate in Aalto University developing advanced materail from lignin streams.
Ya Zhu
Preparation and characterization of stimuli-responsive cellulose foams
I am a doctoral candidate in BiCMat working on structured food using nanocellulose and nanochitin
Alumni & Former group members
- Dr. Maryam Borghei – Hybrid Materials (2015-2021)
- Dr. Blaise Tardy – Surfactants and supracolloids (2017-2021)
- Dr. Long Bai – Biocolloid-stabilized emulsions, food emulsions (2017-2019)
- Dr. Siqi Huan – Emulsions and 3-D printed composites (2017-2019)
- Dr. Sanna Hakkonen – Lipid Chemistry(2019-2022)
- Dr. Robertus Nugroho – Biocolloidal powders (2016-2018)
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Dr. Marco Beaumont – Cellulsoe derivaties and chemcial modification (2019-2020)
- Prajesh Adhikari – PhD, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NCSU: Developing New Multicomponent Systems: From Coatings, Gels to Nanofiller Composites, January 2018.
- Ahsan Uddin – PhD, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Nanocellulose for control synthesis of nanoparticles and antimicrobial applications, 2018
- Miika Nikinmaa – PhD, College of Textile, Fiber and Polymer Science, NCSU: Wet-lay of Synthetic Fibers with Complex Fluids, 2017.
- Alexey Khalalo – PhD, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Advanced structures and compositions for 3d forming of cellulosic fibers, 2017.
- Majia Vuoriluoto – PhD, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Engineering Nanocellulose Biointerfaces Toward Bioactivity and Strength, 2017
- Jiaqi Guo – PhD, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Covalent modification of nanocellulose towards advanced functional materials, 2017.
- Fatima Vargas Gonzalez – PhD, Química Inorgánica e Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Cordoba, Spain: Biorrefinería de residuos de la industria agroalimentaria: Valorización de paja de cereals, 2017.
- Parham Tayeb – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Controlling the Hydrophobic Interactions in Papermaking Colloidal Systems by Soy Proteins and Lipoxygenases, 2016.
- Consuelo Fritz – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Lignocellulosic Materials and their Interactions with Proteins and Surface Active Molecules, 2016.
- Xioamin Lu – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Nanocellulose as additive and reinforcing agent in melt spinning of polyethylene and polypropylene, 2016.
- Shuai Li – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Valorization of lignins for use in multi-phase systems, 2015.
- Markus Korhonen– PhD, Forest Products Technology, Aalto University: Flocculation of cellulosic materials, polyelectrolyte complexes and mineral particles (advisor), 2015.
- Carlos Carrillo (now with Invista) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Application of Complex Fluids in Lignocellulose Processing, 2014
- Julio Arboleda (now with Colorquimica) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Soy Proteins for New Industrial Applications, 2014.
- Carlos Salas (now with Georgia Pacific) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Soy-based Polymers for Surface Modification and Interactions with Lignocellulosic Materials, 2014
- Laura Taajamaa – PhD, Forest Products Technology, Aalto University, Supported ultrathin films and non-woven fibre mats from polysaccharide containing bicomponent polymer blends (advisor), 2014.
- Abdelrahman Abdelgawad (now with NCSU) – PhD, Fiber & Polymer Science, NCSU: Antimicrobial Wound Dressing Nanofiber Mats from Multicomponent (chitosan/silver-NPs/polyvinyl alcohol) Systems, 2013.
- Nafisa Islam (now with Bangladesh University of Engineering) – PhD, Chemical & Biomelecular Engineering, NCSU: Surface plasmon resonance studies of the specific interactions of hexamer peptide ligands with human immunoglobulin G, 2013.
- Junyeong Park (now with NCSU) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Structural and Chemical Characterization of Thermally-Treated Woody Biomass, 2013.
- Kiran Goli (now with Intel) – PhD, Materials Science & Engineering, NCSU: Functional Coatings Based on Denaturation and Adsorption of Proteins, 2012.
- Xiaomeng Liu (now with Syngenta) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Partitioning of Amphiphilic and Charged Molecules on Polymeric Surfaces by Physisorption, 2011.
- Ingrid Hoeger (now with Kimberly Clark Corporation) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Ultrathin films of cellulose and lignin for studies on interfacial phenomena, 2011.
- Justin Zoppe (now with Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Surface Modification of Nanocellulose Substrates, 2011.
- Maria Soledad Peresin (now with Auburn University, USA) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Novel Lignocellulosic Composites, 2011.
- Mir Quddus (now with Whirpool) – PhD, Fiber & Polymer Science, NCSU: A systematic study of fatty acids interacting with crystalline cellulose surfaces via molecular dynamics simulations, 2011.
- Kelley Spence (now with EPA) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Processing and Properties of Microfibrillated Cellulose, 2010.
- Gang Hu (now with Georgia Tech) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Adsorption and activity of cellulase enzymes on various cellulose substrates, 2009.
- Hongyi Liu (now with Cornell University) – PhD, Fiber & Polymer Science, NCSU: Fiber Lubrication: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, 2009.
- Junlong Song (now with Nanjing Forestry University, China) – PhD, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Adsorption of Amphoteric and Nonionic Polymers on Organic Thin Films, 2008.
- Vilja Kauntola – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: oxidative stability of emulsions with pseudo cereal protein, 2016.
- Ben Jeuck – MSc, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU
- Rubina Ajdary – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Fiber-based Superabsorbents, 2017.
- Lauri Matikainen – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Nanocellulose as barrier coating deposited using a laboratory rod coater, 2017.
- Laocharoen Nikorn – MSc, Aalto Univ., Synthesis of cellulose filament for recycled fiber reinforcement, 2016.
- Xi Chen – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Paper-based plasmon-enhanced protein sensing by controlled nucleation of silver nanoparticles on cellulose, 2016.
- Haishu Lin – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Cellulose-based conductive polymers, 2015.
- Ling Wang – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Nanocellulose, Pectin and Lignin Biomimetic Composite Filaments by Wet Spinning, 2015.
- Janika Lehtonen – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Filtration Properties of Bacterial Cellulose Membranes, 2015.
- Wenchao Xiang – MSc, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Chem. Eng, Aalto University: Silver Nanoparticles Formation on Fibres and Po-tential for Optical Sensing, 2014.
- Miika Nikinmaa – MSc, Nanocellulose/ polyester composite stabilized by inter-material reactions, Forest Products Technology, Aalto University, 2013.
- Peter Jin – MSc, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: The Use of Soy Protein as a Dry Strength Additive in Papermaking, 2012.
- Ning Wu (now with RTP, Raleigh) – MSc, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Adsorption and Diffusion of Highly Charged Cationic Polyeletrolyte into Silica Gel Particles, 2009.
- Marianelly Esquivel Alfaro, Efecto del tratamiento térmico de fibras kraft sobre los factores que determinan la resistencia mecánica en papeles de alto desempeño, Maestría en Ciencia de los Productos Forestales, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, August, 2008.
- Chang Woo Jeong (now with Samsung, South Korea) – MSc, Forest Biomaterials, NCSU: Interfacial Phenomena on Polymeric Thin Films, 2006.
- Katarina Tornqvist – MSc, Polymer and Fiber Science, KTH
- Fermin Moncada – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng., ULA
- Bethsy Lezema – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng. , ULA
- Ricardo Martin (now with AVTCP) – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng., ULA
- Manuel Costero – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng., ULA
- Edgardo Araque (now with Universidad Nacional Experimental de Guayana) – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng., ULA
- Amparo Andres – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng. , ULA
- Luis Gómez – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng. , ULA
- Antonio Aguilera (now with Universidad de Los Andes) – MSc, Pulp and Paper Eng. , ULA
- Franklin Salazar (now with Universidad de Los Andes) – MSc, Chemical Engineering, ULA
- Imani Monireh (1 year) Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran, Printing Technologies
- Prof. Michael Tam (Sabbatical Visiting Professor) University of Waterloo, Canada
- Nazanin Zanjanizadehzazi (1 year) The University of Helsinki, visiting PhD student from Helder Santos group, Cell proliferation and biomedical systems from 3D printing
- Dr. Caio Gomide Otoni (9 months) University of Campinas, Nanocellulsoe and nanochitins in packaging applications
- Filipe Vargas (1 year) University of Campinas, Nanocellulose and nanochitins biomaterials
- Gabriela L. Berto (1 year) Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, High shear, high solids deconstruction of biomass
- Carlos Eduardo Silveira da Silva (1 year) Ciências Ambientais e Florestais, Brazil, Green biorefinery of industrial waste
- Nabila Febriani (5 months) Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Japan, Nanocellulose in polyolefin spinning
- Antonio Maria Borrero Lopez (Erasmus 3 months) Universidad de Huelva, Spain, Lignins for nanoparticles, oleogels and biofilms
- Carmen Hervés (2 months) Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, Spain, Nanocellulose hybrids for energy applications
- Yang Meng (1 year) Beijing Forestry University, China, Phase changing materials from lignocellulose
- Xiao Zhang (2 year) Nanjing Forestry University, China, Design functionalized lignin supramolecular microparticles
- Niu Xun (6 months) Nanjing Forestry University, China, Modification and application of nanocellulose
- Prof. Haiming Li (1 year) Dalian Polytechnic University, China, Nanocellulose in 3D printing
- Dr. Rafael Grande (1 year) Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
- Joice Kaschuk (6 months) University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil, Solar cells
- Liang Liu (1 year) Nanjing Forestry University, China, Chitin nanofibers
- Okada Keisuke (2 year) Visiting Researcher from Arakawa Chemical, Osaka, Japan, Nanocellulose in papermaking
- Prof. Guihua Yang, Qilu University, China, Nanocomposites, 3 months.
- Dr. Marco Beaumont, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria, Cellulsoe Nanoparticles, 2 months
- Dr. Oriol Cusola, UPC Spain, Lignin Nanoparticle Coatings, 6 monhs
- Dr. Kyujeong, Sim, Seoul National University, Capacitive separation, 6 months
- Bruno Mattos, PhD, Student, Materials Science and Engineering, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil, Suracolloids, 6 months.
- Liang Liu, PhD, student, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China, chitin nanofibers, 1 year
- Diego Gómez-Maldonado, MSc, student, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Cuajimalpa, México, Quartz microgravimetry, 2 months
- Prof. Vaidyanathan (Ravi) Subramanian, University of Nevada-Reno, 2016
- Prof. Shingo Yokota, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan
- Prof. Junyong (J.Y.) Zhu, US Forest Service R&D and Uiversity of Wisconsin, Madison, 2016
- Prof. Cristina Pena, Escuela de Ingeniería de Guipúzcoa, Spain
- Prof. Hironori Izawa, Tottori Univ, Japan, 2014
- Prof. William Gacitua, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile, 2015
- Prof. Adriana Restrepo, Universidad Pontifica Bolivariana, Colombia (2013, 2014)
- Prof. Cristina Castro, Universidad Pontifica Bolivariana, Colombia (2012)
- Prof. Junlong Song, Naijing University, 2014
- Prof. Mariko Ago, Tokushima Bunri University, Japan, 2011, 2012, 2014
- Prof. Levente Csoka, West Hungary University, Jan-July 2010
- Prof. Juan Pereira: July 16, 2009 - September 15, 2009
- Prof. Jinhua Yan, Guangdong Industry College, China, 2013-2014
- Prof. Huiyu Bai, Jiangnan University, China, 2013-2014
- Prof. Henry Bock, Harriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 2013
- Prof. Fredy Ysambert, Univ. del Zulia, Venezuela,
- Prof. Yalitza Figueroa, Univ. de Carabobo, 2005
- Prof. Ana Forgiarini, Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela.
- Dr. Marco Beaumont, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria, 2017
- Dr. Kyujeong Sim, Seoul National University, 2016
- Dr. Mehrez Elsayed Elsayed El-Naggar, National Research Centre, Egypt.
- Dr. Wael Eisa, National Research Centre, Egypt.
- Dr. Jose Luis Chiara, Fulbright Scholar, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
- Dr. Young-Jun Lee, Visiting Scholar, Hansol, Korea (with Dr. Pawlak)
- Dr. Takashi Yamaguchi, Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd, Japan
- Dr. Maria Vallejos, Fulbright scholar, October 01, 2009 to December/31/2009
- Dr. Jose Maria Carbajo, Univ. Complutense de Madrid.
- Joice Jaqueline Kaschuk, PhD, Student, Solar cells, 2017
- Liang Liu, PhD, Student, Nanjing Forestry University, 2017 (one year)
- Bruno Mattos, PhD, Student, Materials Science and Engineering, Universidade Federal do Paraná, UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil (six months, 2017)
- Javier Abraham Hernández Díaz, PhD, Student, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, 2016.
- Isabel Carrillo, PhD, Student, Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, 2016
- Siqi Huan, PhD, Student, September 2016 (Northeast Forestry University, Harbin)
- Diego Gómez Maldonado, MSc, Maestría del Posgrado de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Cuajimalpa, Mexico, 2017.
- Monir Imani, MSc, Starting in Aug six months, printing, 2017
- Keisuke Okada, MSc, two years, 2017
- Patricia E. Oliveira Martins, PhD, Student, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile, 2015
- Dimitrios Tsalagkas, PhD, Student, West Hungary University, 2015
- Antonio Pereira, PhD, Student, CSIC, Spain, 2014.
- Juliana Da Silva, PhD, Student, Universidad Federal de Viscosa, Brasil, 2014
- Amanda Araujo, PhD, Student, University of Sao Paulo, Brasil, 2014
- Alexey Khakalo, PhD, Student, Aalto University, 2014
- De-zhan Ye, PhD, Student, Sichuan University, China, 2013
- Tiina Nypelo, PhD, Student, Aalto University, Finland , 2012
- Rosana Rojas-Reyna, PhD, Student, Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden
- Oriol Cusola, PhD, Student, ETSEIAT – UPC, Terrassa Spain, 2012
- Luis Morales, PhD, Student, University of Helsinki, July 2012-present
- Laura Taajamaa, PhD, Student, Aalto University, 2010
- Karoliina Junka, PhD, Student, Aalto University, 2013
- Juana Suseth, PhD, Student, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico.
- Jordi Garcia, PhD, Student, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain. July-Dec, 2009
- João Vinícios Wirbitzki, PhD, Student, Fulbright Scholar, UNICAMP, Brazil, 2011-2012
- Hannes Orelma, PhD, Student, Aalto University, Finland, June 2010 – January 2011
- Fatima Vargas, PhD, Student, Univ. Cordoba, Spain, 2013
- Elisabet Quintana, PhD, Student, Universidad Politécnica de Terrassa, Spain, 2011
- Elisabet Quintana, PhD, Student, Universidad Politécnica de Terrassa, Spain, 2015
- Cristina Castro, PhD, Student, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia, 2011
- Arja-Helena Vesterinen, PhD, Student, Aalto University, Finland, May – Sept. 2010
- Angelica Grandon, PhD, Student, University of Concepcion, Chile, 2012
- Ana Ferrer, PhD, Student, Universidad de Cordoba, Spain, 2011
- Deusanilde J. Silva, PhD, candidate, Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic School-USP, Brazil
- Luis G. Castillo, MSc, Universidad de Guadalajara
- Catalina Alvarez, MSc, 02/01-07/31/2009
- Belkis Sulbaran, MSc, 3/30 - 6/30/2009
- Raquel Martin, MSc, August 12, 2009- December 2, 2009
- Miika Nikinmaa, MSc, Aalto University, Finland, October 2013-April 2014
- Daria Robertson, Carbon materials (advisor: Dr. Maryam Borghei)
- Noora Yau, ART Color & Material Design, (advisor: Prof. J. Beidler)
- Mahdi Rafiee, Piezo materials, Summer Researcher
- Michael Rale, Fat colloids, Summer Researcher
- Olli-Pekka Lehtinen, Licentiate thesis
Biobased Colloids and Materials (BiCMat)
Group led by Professor Orlando Rojas
BiCMat Publications (external link)
The full list of publications by BiCMat members to date.
